For many South African adults a matric certificate is seen as vital in the competitive job market — and it’s never too late to go back to school and get it
SINCE January 1996 Adult Basic Education and Training (ABET) has been declared a priority in this country. Campaigns and institutes offering learning pathways to nationally recognised certificates have been successfully implemented as a result of millions of rands being invested in such programmes.
But it seems as if a very large part of society — like the unemployed and domestic workers — are not benefiting from these projects. These people have to find their own way to an education — and some of them are succeeding, through Phambili.
In 1998 three educators, who believe that transforming South Africa is not only the task of the government, took the initiative to establish a learning centre in Yeoville, Johannesburg. They called the centre Phambili, which means ”forward”.
Determined: It takes patience and improvisation when teaching adult learners.
photo: oscar g
Phambili’s vision is to provide children, youth and adults with a wealth of information and skills that often are only the preserve of the elite. With no money and few resources, but a lot of determination, Phambili started operating from a house offered by one of the members of the core group.
Most of the learners who registered were adults wanting to get their hands on that all-important piece of piece of paper — the matric certificate. The entrance criteria at Phambili are simple: everyone is welcome. The age and the experience of the learners is diverse — from a 21-year-old who is repeating matric to a 60-year-old who wants to go to university. Some are unemployed, others are domestic workers, and some are employed at various companies. One learner has been employed at an organisation for six years and her boss doesn’t know that she doesn’t have her matric certificate (yet).
There are only three teachers at Phambili and together they teach English, history, geography, science, biology, maths, economics, and business economics. These teachers are also full-time teachers at private schools who offer their services at Phambili almost for free. Learners pay what they can afford — anything between R1 and R50 per month.
Learners at Phambili receive much more than just tuition and preparation for the matric exam. Empowerment is central to the centre’s philosophy, and although the tutors acknowledge the pressure that exists to complete the matric syllabus, understanding the Constitution and basic human rights forms an equally important part of their curriculum. As Phambili co-ordinator Ayesha Rajah explains:
”Discussions around Africa and its rich past, contributions and inventions, build a pride in people and a desire to reclaim the past. There is now a confidence that if it was done before, we can do it again. Learners are empowered with the skills to make a difference in their working environment, communities, and in the country.”
Rajah is also of the opinion that too many people, for too long, believed that the much sought-after matric certificate was out of their reach. At Phambili learners come to the realisation that they already have a lot of knowledge — they just need to apply it.
For the women (who make up the vast majority of the learners), the informal environment of the centre also provides a space to share their experiences of their roles in their homes and their communities.
Because these women are also mothers, grandmothers, full-time workers, and often the sole provider for their family, attendance is erratic. This is not seen as a problem, however, as each learner sets her or his own pace. As one of the tutors puts it, ”Let us do what we can. Don’t put yourselves under unnecessary pressure — the outcome is more important.”
The majority of learners complete matric over two years. Of the 1999 group, 18 sat the end-of-year matriculation examination. Seven have now achieved their full matriculation certificate, and the others have completed the first phase of their matric studies.
Phambili is very proud of these results, as some of the learners had not seen the inside of a classroom for more than 10 years before resuming their studies. One of the learners, a domestic worker who started at Phambili in March 1999 with a grade 8 certificate, is one of those proud learners who completed the first phase of matric.
Learners are encouraged to see education and learning as a life-long process. They believe Phambili can provide them with an environment where they can form study groups and get the necessary support to help them achieve their objectives.
The house where Phambili operated, equipped with a few desks, a few chairs, one white board and a piano, was forced to close its doors to learners at the end of 1999. But the abundance of determination that this group possesses means that Phambili will continue to exist, regardless. ”If it means having lessons under a tree in this concrete jungle of ours, we will continue learning and teaching,” says Rajah.
— The Teacher/Mail & Guardian, February 23, 2000.
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